Fetish for fives ....

It all started with my friend Karen who introduced me to the world of fives *grins* What am I talking about? Let me explain. She loves these fives and would happily change when we used to collect payments and had them fives. She just likes using them. It was only a few years later that I started but as some of you may know, I tend to get carried away and instead of using them fives, I started collecting them. It started out as something fun...like how many fives can I get. And then I collected my first batch that added up to $500. Then I thought that's pretty cool and it would be even better if I could make it to $1000 fives.

And it grew and grew and others helped to look out for fives for me. And thanks to contributions from Slawek too, I managed to collect a total of *drum roll* $5,000. It took us about a year to get to that amount! Pretty not bad ya. It became a fun savings plan for me cuz I am really bad when it comes to that.

We went to the bank today and the banker was very amused when she took out the fives. She said that I had them in perfect piles and she used the counting machine to check. Didn't want to tell her that perfect to me would be if I had sorted the plastic from the paper fives. But that will be for the next round. She asked why fives and of course I had the pleasure of telling her how it all started.

Only thing about the paper fives is that they get icky and damp after a while eventhough I kept them in ziplock bags in a dry room. So this is something that I have to figure. And you'll be amazed how FILTHY the paper notes can be. We actually saw dust go flying when she was counting the fives using the counting machine.

Am starting on the next $1000. Have about 14 pieces to date and if you have any, go ahead and send them my way *grins*

Oh yes, that's a new sock monkey that I made recently. Any guess what it's suppose to be?

New chapter in my life ....

Choya or 'Belief'

My spirit has the power to transform.

You release my spirit by believing in yourself

and using your gifts to become all you can be.

The next six months will be a challenging one for me. I will be moving out of my comfort zone and into a new area that I have not been to for a very long time. I'm going back to school, but this time as a student with a whole bunch of other adults like myself.

For the last one year plus, it has been an exciting journey for me. I have learnt alot, I got to know wonderful people in the process and just when I was getting comfortable, I got news that things will change. And it's going to start tomorrow.

I guess alot of it boils down to confidence and belief in myself, that I can handle this new phase that I will be going through. I want to enjoy this next six months yet I am apprehensive. There will be some really awesome people who will be with me and I guess there is this fear of how I would measure up against them.

I shouldn't care about that. I shouldn't worry about what others would think of me. And I know all this....just have to believe all that. Am going to do a little experiment and do some positive self talking each morning :o) I have CHOYA with me all the time (she's attached to my phone) and she serves to remind me that,

'I have the power to transform. I believe in myself and
I will use my gifts to become all that I can be.'

That will be my personal mantra :o)

A weekend getaway ....

I was in Bangkok and Kanchanaburi for about four days including the weekend but it wasn't for leisure but rather for work. It has been awhile since I was last in Bangkok ... I think the last time I was there was in 2005 so it was nice being back and it reminded me why I should go back real soon - to EAT, SHOP and go for MASSAGES galore!!!

I was fortunate enough to visit an interesting community cum school in Kanchanaburi called Moo Baan Dek where children who are either orphans, or come from poor or abused families live and study. I had a little walk around the school with one of the ladies from the community and I like the philosophy behind the village school.

I took some shots of the school. Everything is clean and kept simple and the surrounding blends in nicely with the natural setting. They have organic farms and children participate in cleaning their living area and compound over weekends.

Above: Library well stocked with story books for the children

Above and below: A treat for the children would be playtime by the river.

The rest of the time was spent in Bangkok and one of the places visited was the Floating Market. I remember it being busier when I last saw it compared to this time round. There aren't as many fruit sellers or ladies cooking on the boats. Was told that alot of the sellers have given up selling from their boats and gone onshore instead. Am wondering if there will be a time where these sellers on boats will be gone totally cuz that would be such a shame!

Above: Fruits being sold on a sampan at the Floating Market

Above: Lots of yummy tropical fruits for my picking

Above: Children of the sellers playing, totally oblivious to what's happening around them.

Didn't do very much shopping for myself but did lug back lots of rose apples and mangoes for my parents. Oh yes, not forgetting the 54 packets of Lobo Tom Yum paste *laughs* Yes, got a bit carried away and took all the packets displayed on the shelf of the supermarket.

Darn, I miss being in Bangkok .....